. . .Karzai’s government is currently engaged in thorny bilateral talks on a security pact detailing the role the United States would play in Afghanistan after the pullout.

The negotiations are complicated by a number of contentious issues, such as how many of the 66,000 U.S. troops would remain on Afghan soil and whether they would have immunity from prosecution under local laws.

Karzai has recently taken a tough line over what he calls illegal detentions by U.S. forces and has demanded the transfer of all convicted prisoners to Afghan control and the release of dozens of inmates held without charge.

Alluding to the talks, he took a swipe at the United States and accused it of using the media to weaken the Afghan government’s position in the negotiations.

“They look for their own benefits and we look for ours. They have powerful media and want to put pressure on us.”